Citicoline

Other names CDP-Choline, Cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, Cytidine Diphosphate Choline, Citicholine

Citicoline

Citicoline is used to improve memory and focus, but the science of its effectiveness for healthy humans is not as clearcut as you might think. Read on to find out who should use it and who should avoid it.

Benefits

Read about the effects of Citicoline in relation to the amount of evidence we've found

Can citicoline improve memory and attention?

In a study including 60 healthy adult women, citicoline supported attentional performance:

"After 28 days of daily citicoline supplementation, participants who were administered either the 250 mg or the 500 mg citicoline doses showed significantly better ability to produce correct responses on the CPT-II, likely due to improved cognitive inhibition." [1]

However, the acute cognitive enhancement effects of citicoline are likely only apparent in people with low cognitive performance at baseline:

"Relative to placebo, CDP-choline improved processing speed, working memory, verbal learning, verbal memory, and executive function in low baseline performers, while exerting no effects in medium baseline performers, and diminishing cognition in high baseline" [2]

There's a large amount of research showing that citicoline is effective for certain forms of cognitive impairment. Based on the evidence available, it seems plausible that citicoline might help improve your attention and memory if you are stressed, sleep-deprived, exhausted, or have a low baseline of cognitive performance.

The evidence does not support the use of citicoline for cognitive enhancement in healthy individuals with strong baseline cognitive performance.

Why do people use citicoline?

People who self-experiment with citicoline often state they use it to improve their:

  • Memory
  • Focus
  • Energy

There's a need for more research on the effectiveness of citicoline in healthy humans for all of these purposes.

We've already clarified for whom citicoline is a good choice as a cognitive enhancer, so let's look into what some preliminary evidence on citicoline indicates as regards its effects on energy and physical performance.

Risks

The legality and side effects of Citicoline

How To Use

Dose, frequency and duration

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Citicoline

Studies

Studies conducted on the effects of Citicoline in healthy humans

Last updated Saturday, June 10, 2023